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Post by nucleusofswarm on Jan 1, 2019 23:33:23 GMT
Someone wake me up when the series is less concerned with ramming left-wing propaganda down our throats and more concerned with telling good stories. Uh... other than a very slight, unnamed, dig at the effects of Brexit on security services couched in a continuity reference, what was propogandistic here?
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jan 1, 2019 23:54:49 GMT
Well, I'll take more of that please. Best Dalek story since series one's Dalek.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jan 1, 2019 23:55:19 GMT
Someone wake me up when the series is less concerned with ramming left-wing propaganda down our throats and more concerned with telling good stories. Uh... other than a very slight, unnamed, dig at the effects of Brexit on security services couched in a continuity reference, what was propogandistic here? People see what they want to see.
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Jan 2, 2019 0:51:46 GMT
Great fun: the monster being separated and buried across the globe was a good way to kick off, although it was ruined a little by the dalek teleporting them back to itself when it had enough power. Like Davy, I was struck by the parallels between the Dalek reconstructing its casing and the Doctor rebuilding the sonic. The "junkyard dalek" was fantastic, although looking on Twitter I can see that a bunch of people clearly weren't paying attention and thought it was a "proper" redesign. The possession of Lin was as scary as the show gets: her horror at what has happening to her - and will there be repercussions for her about killing those two police officers? - was superb. And that laugh from the Dalek... The revelation about UNIT was a quiet dig at the current political situation, although why the Doctor didn't just ring Geneva was a bit odd. I didn't mind the family scene: it was just a bit of comedy relating to the story.
My highlight was the conversation with the Dalek via hologram in the TARDIS: some fans have been clamouring for a "Doctor-y" scene all season and this delivered in spades.
I enjoyed that more than most of the Christmas specials. 4/5
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jan 2, 2019 1:35:00 GMT
Also, I really love all the shots of the Time Vortex.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 2:28:28 GMT
There's the grand finale of Series 11!
A fantastic mirror of The Woman Who Fell to Earth in all the right ways. Stripping down the traditional iconography of the series' longest adversary and showing the fundamental terror of a Dalek. Deconstruction and reconstruction in the best tradition of sci-fi. The scene with the Dalek manufacturing its own casing, in particular, felt like we'd come full circle from the Doctor constructing her sonic screwdriver. The casing while a totem, isn't what defines the hideous thing within. It's not helpless without it. There's a disturbing casualness to the Dalek's killings, it's just a pitstop on the way to the ultimate objective. Also, Dalek vs. tank, is something I never knew I wanted to see until now.
As for the rest of the cast, it's nice how much our main quartet feel like a family now. When Aaron comes into the flat, you can just feel them tighten ranks, the Doctor in particular. Daniel Adegboyega plays the conflicted father really well, I hope we get to see more of him in the future as a semi-recurring character (a contact for the team's occassional returns to Sheffield, maybe?). Also, I don't know why, but there seems to be an unwritten edict in Doctor Who that archaeologists are just charming people. The budding relationship between them didn't feel contrived and added a bit of additional weight to the rather disturbing nature of the hostage situation.
Nice bit of realism chucking in the call centre when the Doctor tries to contact UNIT (poor woman's working New Year's Day). I don't really see it as the death of the organisation, though. More of a "wait and see" approach. It reminds me a bit of Torchwood being sent to the Himalayas for a while. Depending on how Brexit turns out, UNIT may continue as writ or return in a different capacity. I'd be up for a Doctor Who story in Switzerland. I'm told Geneva looks lovely in the spring. In any case, I got some nice Terror of the Autons vibes in the latter half of the story, so their impact is lingering on regardless.
I think that's everything... So... *claps hands* Farewell for now to the Thirteenth Doctor, the scientist and gadgeteer who can be so earnest sometimes it hurts. Best wishes for 2020, may tomorrow be full of possibilities and the fun only just starting.
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Post by nottenst on Jan 2, 2019 3:48:47 GMT
I'm sure I could find some things to nitpick if I tried, but that was practically a non-stop adrenaline ride of Doctor Who once they revealed it was a Dalek. I am glad I was not spoiled in that reveal. I really didn't suspect that was what it was, though I did know the alien was using her to transport itself out. Going a whole series without any old enemies definitely intensified the surprise. What a great episode of Doctor Who.
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bobod
Chancellery Guard
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Post by bobod on Jan 2, 2019 4:31:08 GMT
Uh... other than a very slight, unnamed, dig at the effects of Brexit on security services couched in a continuity reference, what was propogandistic here? People see what they want to see. Even worse, they see what they don't want to see.
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Post by elkawho on Jan 2, 2019 4:42:46 GMT
That was great! Overtook Punjab as my favorite episode of the season. I LOVED the first materialization shot of the TARDIS in the sewer. It was gorgeous! That was the scariest Dalek we've seen in quite a while. It was really exciting and suspenseful, with some really well done character moments to break it up a bit. I thought Lynn was a little too okay at the end. I'd be messed up for a very long time if that had happened to me.
Regarding the UNIT situation: you know you're addicted to Big Finish when the first thing that pops into your mind when watching that scene is,"Oh no! What does that mean for the UNIT boxsets?!?!"
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Jan 2, 2019 5:58:45 GMT
People see what they want to see. Even worse, they see what they don't want to see. Or do they want to see that what they see is not what they think they don't want to see? Now I'm all at sea.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 9:28:56 GMT
Outstanding episode, tense, dramatic, action packed, good performances by the cast, Chibnall did something refreshingly new with the Daleks & made them threatening again, Jodie was on fire as The Doctor i sense that if you cross this Doctor you'll regret it & of course the disastrous event's which took place here will hopefully recoil UNIT for series 12.
Only quibbles were the WiFi family scene which felt showhorned in for cheap gag & Yaz again being sidelined why include her in the series if you ain't going to use her?
Overall gets a 4/5 from me & my favourite Christmas Special since The Christmas Invasion.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 10:28:35 GMT
Lizo Mzimba: "The Doctor Who New Year Day Special got 5.15 million viewers on overnight figures - the lowest figure for any festive season Who special since the series returned in 2005. Luther's return got 5.62 million. The Great Festive Bake-Off on Ch 4 got 2.71 million "
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Post by mark687 on Jan 2, 2019 11:00:55 GMT
Lizo Mzimba: "The Doctor Who New Year Day Special got 5.15 million viewers on overnight figures - the lowest figure for any festive season Who special since the series returned in 2005. Luther's return got 5.62 million. The Great Festive Bake-Off on Ch 4 got 2.71 million " The lesson there is Don't move timeslots and or have some positive promotion other then a 10 second Trailer maybe? Mind you Luther's down a bit, Box-set bingeing is fast becoming the norm of viewing habits it seems.
Regards
mark687
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Post by nucleusofswarm on Jan 2, 2019 11:03:16 GMT
Lizo Mzimba: "The Doctor Who New Year Day Special got 5.15 million viewers on overnight figures - the lowest figure for any festive season Who special since the series returned in 2005. Luther's return got 5.62 million. The Great Festive Bake-Off on Ch 4 got 2.71 million " The winter, and especially holiday viewing, seems to have really sucked this year for the Beeb, outside of S11's initial success. Sure, Cry did okay and I'm sure ABC Murders was respectable, but Drummer Girl did poorly, Dynasties didn't replicate the success of past Attenborough outings, the Xmas lineup did really mediocre and even Luther's return, a show that is about as far from any 'OMG SJW' stuff as you can get, wasn't particularly grand. Right now, I can't blame Chris or the BBC for opting to go back to springtime.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 11:07:27 GMT
The positive in this is, in amidst a declining viewership for the mainstream channels, Luther was the highest rated for the night (I think I'm right in saying that); that it was only half a million above Doctor Who's rating puts Who's performance in sharp perspective. Not bad at all, ratings-wise - and I've seen mainly positive things said about the episode, which should provide a healthy consolidated rating for those who are concerned with such things
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 11:09:00 GMT
Lizo Mzimba: "The Doctor Who New Year Day Special got 5.15 million viewers on overnight figures - the lowest figure for any festive season Who special since the series returned in 2005. Luther's return got 5.62 million. The Great Festive Bake-Off on Ch 4 got 2.71 million " Nothing on either channel got close to 6m. We really are in a different place now ratings wise. Who, the soaps...everything is down on where it has been. The idea just a few years ago that the biggest overnight figure between Christmas and New Year being Michael McIntyre with 6mill would have been unthinkable.
One the timeshift hits in, it'll be 7mill-ish again which is absolutely fine. You'd hope "It's a Dalek ep...and a good one!" will maybe give it some word of mouth.
Overall a very solid first year performance wise - skeweved of course by the absolutely massive debut ratings where everyone and their granny wanted to see what the new era, new cast was like. What the show does next to keep in the pop culture and give people a reason to come back in 2020 with no new elements in terms of the cast will be crucial. Chibnall's second series of Broadchurch wasn't as loved as the first and third but what it did do, which gives me hope, is tell a different story to the first series. It wasn't more of the same. That's what I'm looking for in 2020.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 11:15:23 GMT
Lizo Mzimba: "The Doctor Who New Year Day Special got 5.15 million viewers on overnight figures - the lowest figure for any festive season Who special since the series returned in 2005. Luther's return got 5.62 million. The Great Festive Bake-Off on Ch 4 got 2.71 million " The lesson there is Don't move timeslots and or have some positive promotion other then a 10 second Trailer maybe? Mind you Luther's down a bit, Box-set bingeing is fast becoming the norm of viewing habits it seems.
Regards
mark687
Luther's up a bit on Series 4's overnights, not down. Series 4 had 4.9 overnight when it came back www.digitalspy.com/tv/ratings/a777394/luther-is-back-with-a-thud-with-49-million-viewers-on-tuesday/
I think the promotion could have been better for Who, with more exciting and enticing trailers, but when you see the number of people watching TV in general is now so much lower...these numbers are much more respectable than a few years ago. If there was another show getting 10mill I'd say Who has lesson to learn but...it's just such a different game now.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 12:04:01 GMT
Wow. Best special episode since Day of the Doctor. Best Dalek episode since Dalek. It was everything I wanted from a one off. Great fun, great action. A bigger blockbuster movie feel. I think using classic monsters only in special episodes is probably the best use for them. Especially if we get something of this high quality. The Daleks have not been this menacing in years.
As for UNIT, as much as I enjoy the BF releases I don't hold a special place for them so am not bothered either way if they appear in the show. The wi-fi gag, obvious but fun especially for parents forced to sit through this by their kids. All in all I can't wait to watch it again.
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Post by whiskeybrewer on Jan 2, 2019 12:25:58 GMT
Now this was the Season Finale i wanted. Sure some gags felt a bit shoehorned in and Yaz barely did a thing, but for the other 95% it was spot on.
A solo Dalek is always way more frightening than an Army of them.
Although since this Reconnaissance Dalek was one of the first to leave Skaro, should it have known who the Doctor was?
Also i thought the how long is a rel joke was going to be a reference to Dalek Invasion of Earth
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 12:44:41 GMT
Now this was the Season Finale i wanted. Sure some gags felt a bit shoehorned in and Yaz barely did a thing, but for the other 95% it was spot on. A solo Dalek is always way more frightening than an Army of them. Although since this Reconnaissance Dalek was one of the first to leave Skaro, should it have known who the Doctor was? Also i thought the how long is a rel joke was going to be a reference to Dalek Invasion of Earth Aren't all rel references for Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.?
I thought having it be an early Skaro recon Dalek was building up to the exact same thing, that the Dalek would not know The Doctor. Maybe part of Chibnall's fresh sweep again? I guess not. Must admit I kinda liked thinking they'd not know The Doc, so little was done with that after Oswin wiping the Dalek memory bank in S7 I thought Chibnall was doing something with it here.
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